I am by no means anywhere close to an expert on pyr dogs.
I just know what my buddy that has them as livestock guard dogs does. Once the pups are weaned, they go into the pen with whatever livestock they are supposed to guard. He uses his for goats. He discourages a lot of human interaction - he does interact with them when feeding, etc but doesn't make 'pets' out of them. His dogs are friendly but not house pets.
As far as our girl, she's a house dog. We don't have any large livestock, and our main goal for training with her is to make her a good companion for our family (kids & adults) and to have her NOT chase the chickens. So far, so good on both fronts! She has learned very quickly not to chase the chickens. I don't trust her alone out there yet when the chickens are free ranging, but the one time she got let out accidently by the kids when the chickens were out, she did actually catch one of the silkies and then proceeded to give her a bath - didn't put a scratch on her. She is just a gentle giant - even with her playful puppy-ness.
Here's a website I found with all kinds of info on training pyrs. Again, I'm not a good judge of if this is excellent advice or not, but I have trained many dogs over the years with basic obedience and house breaking/companion type training and I didn't see anything here that counters what I know in my own experience to be good training for any dog.
http://www.milkandhoneyfarm.com/dogs/training.html
Guarding: A Pyr will guard what it is bonded to - or better said - it will guard the defined space that contains what it is bonded to. If bonded with sheep, it will guard sheep. If with the owner, the owner and his or her property. If the Pyr is to guard, it is not good to raise it around other non-pyr dogs where it can pick up bad habits such as chasing poultry or livestock. Pyrs don't normally chase, but if the big puppy bounces up to a chicken and the chicken runs the other way, the Pyr will give bounce after it. Once chasing starts, the chicken soon becomes a diversion, and that Pyr can no longer be trusted with poultry. Closely monitor your Pyr puppy for its first 12 months if you desire to raise a trustworthy poultry guard. A Pyr confined to a kennel will likely be more aggressive with poultry than a Pyr that is loose with them.
Pyrs are social in a pack society. The older members of the pack teach the younger ones. Sticking a Pyr pup by itself in with sheep or goats is risky. The pup may be mellow and responsible and take on the guarding duties in stride. Then again, it may be playful and want to rough house with the livestock. We think it is better to segregate the Pyr pup where it can see the livestock. Take the pup in with you while doing chores and correct any undesireable behavior such as chasing, barking or nipping.
Great Pyrenees guard mostly through intimidation - by barking and posturing. Their barking keeps deer and rabbits out of our garden and raccoons, weasels, and rats out of our chicken house. They bark at people and cars, but keep their distance. They will defend and back down dog packs, wolves, coyotes, bears, cougars, etc. If you have a problem with a bear or a wolf pack, you will need two Pyrs. One will die trying to defend - two cannot be surrounded or overpowered.
Another story going around is that if you want a good livestock guardian, the pyr must be raised without human contact. This is the best method for a Pyr that will guard 5,000 sheep on 10,000 acres, but not too practical for people who have less than a hundred acres. How are you going to capture a wild dog and take it to the Vet? You can have a great guardian that is friendly to your family by bonding the Pyr to its guard area (By guard area we mean an area with natural boundaries or fences that the Pyr can "mark" and define as its own). Taking the Pyr for a walk outside of your property or bringing it to the house begins to blur the definition of what its area is and could diminish its guarding interest. We suggest that the only place you take your livestock guardian Pyr is to the Vet. If the Vet is willing to visit you, that's even better.
